Hoverfly Spotter May 26 Sightings – part 1

Bears, Green Tigers, & Wolfs Milk. 

I cannot believe we’ve reached May already. Before long, spring will have given way to summer. While it hasn’t been the best week for hoverflies, with temperatures dipping a little, it has offered me the chance to explore and appreciate other fauna and flora in my local area.

One for the nature table - developing pinecones.

The week began with a visit to Wentworth Woodhouse, where an impressive hoverfly was spotted—though the day was somewhat dampened by the loss of some equipment. A walk along the Trans Pennine Trail brought a welcome highlight, with the sighting of one of the most colourful hoverflies found in the UK. The weekend then saw visits to Dearne Valley Country Park with the Barnsley Naturalists and Howell Wood with the British Naturalists, where, alongside friends, we encountered some amazing species to spotlight.

Nature’s Joy – Orange-tip Butterfly Visit.

A visit by an Orange-tip butterfly to the garden, what happens next is surely one of nature’s joys.

One of the joys of spring is seeing the Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines). The males with their flash of orange from which it gets its name, are often seen fluttering along woodland rides, passing by with purpose in mind.

The females in comparison bear no Orange-tip, but grey tips to her wings. Yet when she settles reveals a mottled green underwing that looks like decorative stained-glass windows in a church, a pattern unique to that butterfly. The males also have this mottling but its the orange flashes that first draw attention. These butterflies bring a smile to my face and are always welcome in my garden. 

The story begins one sunny afternoon in the garden a couple of weeks ago, when I was sitting reading a substack article and a female Orange-tip came to visit. It landed on a plant called Jack by the Hedge, also known by the name Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolate). This year it’s growing in profusion down the right-hand side of the garden as I look-out from the kitchen window. It’s a biennial which means last year we saw very few but this year it has flourished filling the entire border. Orange-tips need Garlic Mustard or Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) also known as Lady’s Smock to complete their lifecycle. We don’t have any Cuckoo flower in the garden; it is a plant preferring wet meadows, which unfortunately this garden isn’t.

I watched a video recently by The Rambling Entomologist, Trevor Pendleton who indicated that the female lays her eggs not in a cluster of plants but in singletons. There is a very good reason for this preference, which I will come back to shortly. 

Narcissus Bulb fly (Merodon equestris)

Discover the Darker side of Hoverfly Ecology

Narcissus Bulb fly (Merodon equestris) 

Wing Length 8.5-10.25mm Body Length 10-14mm Flight late Apr-early Jul.

Species to spot in May

Have you ever planted bulbs that never quite made it to flowering, and you’re left wondering why? If you’re fairly sure they haven’t been dug up by a local grey squirrel, this hoverfly might be the hidden culprit.

It’s a remarkable species with around 34 different disguises, often easily mistaken for several types of bumblebee. The adults begin emerging from the soil from late April through to the end of June, so it’s well worth checking your bulb pots. You might spot one warming up in the sunshine or drying its wings on the leaves of your plants.

The Greatest Soundtrack in the World

International Dawn Chorus Day 3rd of May

It’s International Dawn Chorus Day on the 3rd of May. So, if you don’t know your blackbird from your robin song, or your blue tit from your great tit call this might just help.

May is a fantastic month for listening to birdsong, so you can always choose a morning that suits you better, if you can’t make the 3rd of May. If like me, early mornings really aren’t appealing, I’ve included a couple of alternative ideas later in the article that don’t require setting an alarm at all.

Anyone who loves birds will tell you that the dawn chorus is the greatest soundscape of all. Not the Top 40 blaring from a radio, but the voices of birds singing as the very first light appears. It’s a soundscape that has been playing since birds evolved — if not before. While the coffee brews, it’s one of those rare, glorious moments in the day when you can simply sit, listen, and let the birds do the talking.

Now people who know me well, know I am not a morning person. I have had several mugs designed that specifically state ‘don’t talk to me before my second cup of coffee.’ Early starts are very much not my thing. I am more of a night owl and would rather, as I am doing right now, stay up late and enjoy the silence, when everyone has gone to bed. It’s a time when the noise in my head finally quietens, and my creative thoughts can make their way through my fingertips. Whether I actually achieve that is for you to decide.

And yet, three times this spring I’ve dragged myself up at the crack of dawn to listen to that dawn-time symphony. And yes, I’ll have brain fog for the rest of the day — but every single time, it’s been worth it.

Hoverfly Spotter Apr 26 Sightings – part 3

Hoverflies, Silkstone Waggonway, & Local sightings.

I love it when I can find nature right on my doorstep, it’s even better when it’s in one's own garden. The Dandelions are in full bloom and the Garlic Mustard also known as Jack by the Hedge is just coming into flower ready for any passing Orange Tips.

But what other wonders and nature’s joy have I seen this week.